Chris Helixon begins his 19th season as the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse head softball coach in 2023-24. He has led the Eagles to five appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament in the last 14 years, including the team's first trip in school history to the NCAA Division III Super Regional in 2019.
Helixon went 12-7 as head coach in 2023, missing the final 24 games recovering from aortic valve replacement surgery. Assistant coach Caitlin Wnek finished 16-8 as interim head coach as UWL finished 28-15 overall and 9-5 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Eagles won the conference tournament title and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Three players were selected to the 2023 All-WIAC First Team, including Kyra Lard, Jordyn McCormack and Elise Weinzierl. Weinzierl was named the WIAC Pitcher of the Year. UWL also earned the 2023 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year. McCormack and Madi O'Brien both earned NCAA Division III All-Region Tournament honors.
UWL finished 27-10 overall and 13-1 in the WIAC in 2022, securing its second (2010) regular-season league crown in school history. The Eagles won 13 consecutive WIAC games and 14 overall in 2022, the second-longest winning streak in school history. UWL's 27 victories in 2022 are tied for seventh-most in UWL history.
The Eagles advanced to the WIAC Championship game in 2022. McCormack, Remington Stark, Weinzierl and Lard were named to the 2022 All-WIAC First Team while Kendra Leis and Hailey Jibben were voted to the honorable mention squad. UWL has had at least two players named to the All-WIAC First Team in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
UWL earned the 2022 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award while McCormack was named the WIAC Position Player of the Year, Weinzierl the WIAC Pitcher of the Year and Lard the WIAC Newcomer of the Year.
UWL finished 29-20 overall and won the WIAC championship in 2019, securing the league's automatic bid to the national tournament. After dropping its first game in the league tournament, the Eagles won five straight contests, including a pair of victories over UW-Eau Claire, to win their third (2009, 2010, 2019) conference championship in school history.
Chris Helixon has led UWL to five NCAA III appearances.
Winning the 2019 NCAA Division III Pella, Iowa Regional with a 3-1 record, UWL was one of 16 teams to advance to the NCAA Division III Super Regionals. The Eagles dropped a pair of games at third-ranked University of St. Thomas (Minn.) in the Super Regional to finish with a 3-3 record in the NCAA Tournament.
Leis, Mia Schmidtke, Caitlyn Hughes, and Emily Knight were named to the 2019 All-Pella, Iowa Regional Team with Schmidtke being voted the Most Outstanding Player.
The Eagles' 29 wins in 2019 ranks fourth in single-season school history. UWL set single-season school records in games played (49), at-bats (1,332), doubles (86) and innings pitched (324.0) in 2019. UWL earned the WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award in 2019.
UWL has won at least 20 games and recorded a winning season in 14 of the last 16 years. UWL finished 2-2 in 2020 as the rest of the season was canceled to the COVID-19 pandemic threat. The Eagles were 14-14 overall and 8-6 in the WIAC in 2021.
UWL hosted an NCAA Division III Regional for the first in school history in 2017, going 2-2. Jessie Carignan, Katie Klein, Grace Mindrup and Sydney Murphy were selected to the 2017 All-La Crosse, Wisconsin Regional Team.
The Eagles finished 30-16 overall and 10-4 in the WIAC in 2017. The 30 victories are third-most in single-season school history.
UWL made its first trip to the national tournament since 1986 with its WIAC Tournament title in 2009 under Helixon. The Eagles went 0-2 in the 2009 NCAA III Regional, but came back to record a 2-2 mark in the 2010 regional. UWL went 1-2 at the 2011 NCAA III Regional.
The Eagles finished 28-16 overall and 11-5 in the WIAC in 2011. The team was 38-9 overall and 16-0 in the conference in 2010, winning its first league title in school history. The Eagles won the WIAC Tournament in 2009 and 2010 under Helixon. UWL finished 20-15 in 2012, 21-14 in 2013, 25-13 in 2014, 27-14 in 2015 and 26-14 in 2016 under Helixon. The team advanced to the WIAC Tournament championship game in 2014.
UWL set school records for wins (39), winning streak (21), at-bats (1,317), runs (283), hits (431), RBI (254), doubles (67) and home runs (39) in 2010. The team also set pitching records for innings (322.0) and strikeouts (283).
For his efforts, Helixon was named the 2010 WIAC Coach of the Year.
The 2010 squad broke several school records set in 2009, including victories (34), runs (282), hits (412), doubles (65) and RBI (244). UWL went 34-12 overall and 12-4 in the WIAC in 2009, also setting a school record with a .330 batting average. The team had pitching records for saves (7) and strikeouts (240).
The Eagles have had 47 players named to the All-WIAC First Team in Helixon's 17 years, including Leis, Maddie Muelken and Sydne Shattuck who were voted to the 2021 team.
Hughes, Leis, Schmidtke and Shattuck who were selected to the 2019 All-WIAC First Team. Brittany Baldwin, Katie Klein and Schmidtke who were voted to the 2018 squad. Baldwin, Hughes, Stephanie Cole and Grace Mindrup were voted to the 2017 squad while Megan Nelson, Baldwin and Hughes who were selected to the 2016 team. Hughes was also selected the 2016 WIAC Pitcher of the Year, becoming the third player in school history to earn the honor.
In 2010, Jenna Ahnen was named the WIAC Position Player of the Year while Heather Schultz was selected the league's Pitcher of the Year. Ahnen garnered the position player of the year award again in 2011, becoming the second player in conference history to earn the recognition.
Helixon has compiled a 404-260 (.608) overall record in his 18 seasons at UWL, ranking first in school history and fourth in the WIAC in career victories. Helixon picked up his 400th career victory at UWL with a 9-1 win over Dickinson College (Pa.) on March 17, 2023. He earned his 300th career win in the Eagles' 9-2 victory over UW-Stout on May 6, 2017 and his 200th victory with a 10-2 win over Marian University (Wis.) on March 17, 2014.
Helixon served as head softball coach at Viterbo University (Wis.) from 1998-2001 and was named the 2001 Midwest Classic Conference Coach of the Year. He compiled a 52-94-1 record at Viterbo (Wis.).
He is 456-354-1 (.563) in his collegiate career, earning his 300th overall victory in UWL's 14-1 win over Martin Luther College (Minn.) February 28, 2016. Helixon earned his 400th career win in UWL's 5-0 victory over Lake Forest College (Ill.) May 12, 2019 in the NCAA Division III Pella, Iowa Regional.
Earning a bachelor’s degree in leadership psychology from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1990, Helixon was a three-year starter in the outfield for the Black Knights. He was awarded All-Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League Second-Team honors.
Helixon earned his master’s degree in sports administration from UWL in 1995 after a two-year graduate assistantship with the Eagles’ athletic department. He served as the assistant to the interim athletics director for the Eagles in 1998.
Helixon worked as an operations intern with the St. Paul Slam Professional Basketball Team in 1996-97 and as an operations/facilities intern with the University of Kentucky Athletics Association in 1995-96. He has played on numerous fastpitch softball teams - most notably the Menomonie Blues and Colorado Springs Blues.
Helixon, his wife Tracy, and children Isaac, Michael, and Ellie reside in Onalaska.
